‘Carbide guns’ maim children amid Diwali boom, AIIMS Delhi sees 20 eye injuries

Carbide-based toy explosions cause permanent eye damage; 20 cases at AIIMS this Diwali, as MP bans the devices amid national concern.

For seven-year-old Kartik from Rohini, Diwali was meant to be about fun and fireworks. Instead, he is now recovering from a severe eye injury caused by a “carbide gun”, a dangerous toy popularised through viral social media videos. Kartik’s father, Rahul (30), said he bought the device for ₹300 from a cracker shop, unaware of its risks. “The seller said it could be reused, so I thought it was an adorable and harmless device. But that cheap toy has now cost my child his eyesight,” he said, sitting beside his son at AIIMS Delhi, where doctors confirmed his corneal damage after the gun exploded near his face.

Crude explosive toys cause vision loss in children; MP bans sale, display and videos, Delhi yet to enforce restrictions. (PTI)

In another case, 11-year-old Lucky from Faridabad lost vision in both eyes after his father, Jitendar Kumar, 35, built a homemade version using PVC pipes and calcium carbide. “Everyone was talking about it this year. Because I run a hardware store, the raw material was also available at home. We just made the gun at home and bought carbide for less than ₹300 per kg… Both my son and his friend got injured,” he said.

“Carbide guns” are crude homemade explosives which rely on mixing calcium carbide with water, producing acetylene gas in a container, which can ignite and cause violent blasts.

To be sure, following a surge in serious eye injuries during the 2025 Diwali festivities, the Madhya Pradesh government has imposed a statewide ban on the manufacture, sale, purchase, display, and use of carbide guns — crude explosive devices often used as firecrackers. The ban, issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Adhiniyam, also prohibits sharing related videos on social media to curb their spread among youth.

The action came after nearly 300 people suffered vision-threatening injuries linked to these devices in cities such as Indore and Bhopal. In contrast, Delhi-NCR has not yet implemented a formal ban, though doctors at AIIMS and other hospitals have warned against the devices following several non-fatal eye injury cases reported this Diwali. So far, no fatalities from carbide gun incidents have been reported anywhere in India.

HT found multiple listings for “carbide guns” on popular Indian e-commerce platforms, often disguised as “monkey repeller guns”, with prices ranging from about ₹800 to ₹7,000.

According to AIIMS authorities, this is the first year the hospital has recorded carbide gun-related injuries, with 20 children treated for eye trauma. “Nearly 25% of them suffered severe damage,” a hospital official said, adding that most victims were boys aged seven to fifteen.

Dr Radhika Tandon, professor of ophthalmology at AIIMS, said the injuries have alarmed doctors. “This is the first time we are getting patients with eye injuries caused by this carbide gun, and in most of these cases these guns were home-assembled. This has left us alarmed,” she said. Explaining the mechanism, she added, “These explosions are devastating. The chemicals from carbide reactions can destroy the corneal surface and cause permanent blindness. The damage is not only due to the explosion but also from harmful gases entering the eyes.”

Echoing similar concerns, Dr SK Khokhar, professor of ophthalmology at AIIMS, said, “These injuries could have been averted only if there was better enforcement. There is an urgent need for banning these guns that are causing irreversible damage, especially for children.”

AIIMS recorded 190 eye injuries during Diwali this year, up from 160 in 2024, of which 20 were linked to carbide guns. Hospital authorities noted that despite the Supreme Court’s directive restricting the use of certified “green” crackers, enforcement remains weak. “The steady rise in ocular injuries despite court restrictions highlights poor enforcement and lack of awareness,” the authorities said.

Kartik’s mother expressed anguish over the lack of regulation. “Only if there was even a bit of government intervention—maybe on the sale of this gun or some awareness—my child’s eyesight could have been saved,” she said.